Pre-Diabetic?

Question

My friend is pre-diabetic but she loves putting sugar in her coffee, she's overweight. I keep telling her that eating a lot of sugar isn't good for her but she dosen't even listen to me. What should I do to help her stay away from it?

Answer 1

Give her some splenda and some stevia, appreciate her good points, and back off. Your nagging isn't going to help her adjust to a new life style but an adjustment in your attitude (recognizing what things you can not change and what things you should accept) will make all the difference in the world.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I'm firmly of the belief that fasting blood sugar, unless definitively diabetic, is just not a very useful tool *on its own* to make a diagnosis. Fasting levels can be in pre-diabetic range, but after-meal blood sugar can still be spiking very high well into diabetic range. Fasting blood sugar only tells you what your blood sugar is doing in the absence of food. While that's all well and good, diabetes is really about what your blood sugar is doing all the time, especially after eating. Frankly, I'd look more at the A1c than I would the fasting blood sugar and that would indicate diabetes. Also, it's really semantics at this point, because your A1c level is high enough that your blood sugar could be causing diabetic complications. Whether you are pre-diabetic or diabetic is moot if you can damage your organs with your blood sugar.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Diabetes is nothing to play with, especially if your friend is overweight. Thank God she hasn't been diagnosed, so there's still time for her to change her eating habits. Go to the diabetic websites and get some info on preventing diabetes and living with diabetes. Make sure you show her what can happen if she continues on this destructive path. My Aunt lost her kidneys 18 years ago to diabetes and had to got to dialysis every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. She lost her leg about 4 years ago, and it claimed her heart about 4 months ago and she died. My Mother was diagnosed about 5 years ago and she lost close to 90lbs and she's doing great. She's not even on the pills anymore. I was diagnosed almost a year ago and I've lost right at 50lbs and still have more to go. Tell your friend that she won't want to end up like my Aunt.
She shouldn't only stay away from sweets, but starches too.
I love the sugar subside Splendor, try to get her to sample it. Give it to her without her knowing and when she's halfway finished tell her what she's eating. That's how my husband fooled me.

Answer 6

She needs to be exposed to all the research showing how when one is pre-diabetic, they are at risk for heart disease and stroke among other things. Also that there is some irreversible organ damage that can happen during the pre-diabetic phase. Your friend needs to act now before it is too late to turn the clock back. She needs to drop 5-10% of her weight at the least which will help stabilize her blood sugars. A pre-diabetic has blood sugars that are higher than normal, but not yet in the diabetic range. They can still get the symptoms that diabetics have such as fatigue, frequent thirst, frequent infections, etc. Remember, it's not only sugar, but all starches that she needs to have in moderation, such as beans, pasta, rice, potatoes, peas, corn. She can go to the American Diabetes Association for more information. My other suggestion is for her to see a dietitian or diabetes educator.

Answer 7

Have her try sugar replacements, like Nutra-sweet or Splenda. Being overweight is a risk factor for becoming diabetic. Losing weight will certainly help her. Diets that are high in fiber and fruits and vegetables combined with walking/exercising daily are great ways to help her control her blood sugars.

Lifestyle modifications are the most effective (yet hardest to have patients pursue). It would be great to det your friend up with a dietician and personal trainer. These expenses now will be nothing compared to the cost of insulin and needles as well as all the additional health care she will need once she develops diabetes.

Answer 8

Has she tried the sugar substitutes?

Her condition isn't something to take lightly, and her weight is adding to the problem. Diabetes is a condition where the pancreas doesn't produce enough (or none) insulin. Carrying extra pounds makes things more severe. I worked with a guy who is type I, and his wife was also type I. They had a 4 y/o daughter. The wife's condition was so bad that she went blind. Yet, she continued to ignore her diet, and not take her meds. The 4y/o (now around 9) has no mother, anymore.

Your friend needs to acquaint herself with the dangers, and act accordingly. It isn't a disease to be taken lightly. I am type II, and am fortunate. I have been controlling mine through diet and exercise.

Answer 9

Instead of talking about sugar, why don't the two of you take an aerobics class together or play a sport together? Exercise is very effective at keeping diabetes at bay. You don't even have to say anything about working out. It could be something like softball.

Answer 10

Preaching at people about their health rarely helps. Rather than telling her what she should or shouldn't eat, set a good example for her by eating low sugar/no sugar/sugar substitute foods yourself. There is a lot of really good low-in-sugar foods now available.